Hidden marine windshield mounting system and method

ABSTRACT

A hidden marine windshield mounting system and method, utilizing a cooperative pair of elongated base members, longitudinally extending around the front of and fastened to a marine vessel deck. The two elongated base members cooperatively interlock with one another to form a single windshield mounting base unit, having a substantially vertically erect windshield receiving area for adhesion of most usually, curved windshield tempered glass. Mounted onto the top of the curved windshield glass is an elongated trim member, which may come into contact at its ends, with the ends of the base member pair. The base member pair can be forcibly separable from one another after stretch forming for assembly, installation and for glass replacement.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a mounting system for marine windshields andmethod of manufacture, and more specifically to a hidden mounting systemutilizes an interlocking pair of extrusions, which are adjustable andseparable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Mounting, trimming or finishing the edges of marine windshields hasbecome more complex over the years as the windshield shapes haveprogressed from simple rectangular panes to complexly curved andobliquely oriented windshields, some of which are segmented to allowaccess to a forward seating area.

The most common approach currently in use is to employ a metal extrusionwhich is stretch formed on a die set to the curved shape of the edge ofthe windshield glass to be mounted. Usually the mounting and edgetrimming extrusions are formed from aluminum and often have a windshieldreceiving longitudinally extending channel. A gasket, such as a vinyl orthermoplastic gasket, is mounted between the windshield channel in theextrusion and the glass so as to seal and cushion the windshield edgeassembly.

Typical marine windshield mounting extrusions that extend along thebottom edge of the windshield for mounting the windshield to the deckare the following patented mounting assemblies, as are set forth in U.S.Pat. Nos. 6,800,160; 6,647,914; 5,601,050; 5,269,250; 4,815,410;4,750,449; 3,810,267; 3,654,648; 3,021,535 and 3,016,548.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide awindshield mounting system and method of manufacturing and attaching thesame, which is well suited for use as a mounting assembly for curvedboat windshields.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a windshieldmounting system in which can be interconnected together during stretchforming of the windshield mounting system into a curved configurationand separable for suitable assembly and mounting on a marine vesseldeck.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a windshieldmounting system having improved aesthetic value.

A further object is to provide a windshield mounting system wheremounting by boat manufactures is made easier.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide awindshield mounting assembly that can be adjustable, fore or aft as maybe required after the marine vessel has been in service for a period.

The hidden marine windshield mounting system and method of the presentinvention has other objects and features of advantage which will becomeapparent from and are set forth in more detail in, the accompanyingdrawings and following details.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The hidden marine windshield mounting system and method of the presentinvention is designed to be stretch or die formed so as to fit along thefrontal area of a marine vessel deck, and comprises briefly, anelongated base member, longitudinally extending along the front andsomewhat along the sides of the vessel deck and including a windshieldmounting rail. The windshield mounting rail includes an elongatedwindshield glass adhesion area. The windshield assembly usually includesa longitudinally extending top windshield edge receiving structureapplied to complete the windshield assembly. These windshield structuralmembers are typically made using suitable aluminum alloy extrusions.

The base member is fastened to the curved deck and a windshield mountingrail longitudinally inserted into the base member. The base member hasan elongated V-shaped profile which is tipped onto one element of it'sshape, where this lower element is fasten to the deck and where the topoverhanging element includes a downward protruding lip along and underits upper edge. The windshield mounting rail profile has a lower wedgeshaped element to fit within the base member. The lower protruding lipengages a recess near the mid section of the windshield mounting rail,to lockably engage the windshield mounting rail within the first baseprofile. The windshield mounting rail includes as an integral part ofthe member, a windshield receiving flange, vertically appended to thewedge shaped lower element.

The two base members of the present invention will allow for adjustmentof the windshield sections towards the center of the boat when thesystem is installed or in use. This is particularly required where thereis an access door through the center area of the windshield assembly tothe front area of the boat, as is common in many modern boat designs.This type of boat design compromises the boat's structure and oftencauses the boat to settle, or to cause “shoe boxing” after time. Thepresent invention can be readily adjusted towards center, as may berequired to alleviate this problem.

Also, the area where the windshield system is installed on certain boatdesigns, a step in the deck, or top of the hull area may be desirable.This step would be below the glass and would be added to allow forslight inconsistencies in the deck or hull and or the glass, and gives acleaner visual line at the bottom of the glass.

In a second aspect of the present invention, the base member and thewindshield mounting rail are cooperatively formed by first snapping themembers together and then stretch forming them as a unit. The extrusionsshape of the first and the windshield mounting rail and extrusions areathickness as well as the stretch forming dies used in the stretchforming process hold the extrusions in cooperative engagement, whileapplying a concerted surface pressure during stretch forming, thisallows the base member and the windshield mounting rail to be separatedfrom one another after the stretch forming.

As well, these mating mounting extrusions may be of different aluminumalloys to assist in the forming and subsequent correspondence of the twoextrusion elements. As an example the base member can be a 6063 T1extrusion while the windshield mounting rail can be a 6063 T5 extrusion.

The profile configuration of the two base elements being a wide point tosmall point of a wedge shape, inherently allows control of deformationduring the forming process and provides an adjustable control surfacewith tight tolerance when cooperatively formed together and whenmatching of replacement parts.

As well, it has been found that the profile design of both the basemember and the windshield mounting rail is inherently adaptive to theprocess of extruding of the longitudinal elements.

Also, it is intended that the base member and the windshield mountingrail be coated by anodizing or other applied coating to improvedurability as well as the releaseability from one another.Releaseability is required after the stretch forming process forcompletion of the windshield manufacturing process and when mounting thesystem on a marine vessel deck, and again for purposes of replacing, oradjusting the windshield assembly after the system has been in serviceon the marine vessel.

In a third aspect of present invention, which is the manufacturabilityof the system, an adhesive application process is used to fix the glassto the windshield mounting rail's vertical element. This adhesiveapplication process may be of two parts. The application of a doublebacked strip adhesive along with a liquid or gelled consistency,urethane type glue, applied alongside the strip adhesive. This processwill allow the windshield glass to be aligned and “set” while the gluesets up over a longer period.

Another similar application would be the use of a plurality of paralleladhesive strips that are separate by a distance to allow the applicationof glue applied in-between the adhesive strips. A further mode ofapplication would be the use of a single wider adhesive strip with aseries of spaced apertures, where glue is placed within the aperturesalong the strip adhesive.

Yet a further glue application method that resembles the opposite of theprevious method, uses adhesive tabs along with a urethane glue ribbon orband. Here the tabs are evenly spaced along the bottom of the glass, oronto the windshield mounting rail's glue receiving area, the glass andwindshield mounting rail are then “set” together.

One other method is the application of a heat sensitive glue, where theglue is heated upon application of the glass to rapidly set the glue.This type of glue could be used along with the above applicationmethods, or as a singular application method. These steps will reducethe time that the windshield assembling process takes by allowing theassembly to be moved along before the glue has set-up.

The processing of applying glue and “setting” the windshield glass tothe windshield mounting rail requires another crucial step, which isthat of alignment, that is to precisely aligning the glass and thewindshield mounting rail as the glue or adhesive is “set”. This processincludes the application of a few small markers applied to the glass.The markers can be small dots or thin X marks on the glass. Thewindshield mounting rail extrusion requires home marker points which areplaced onto the windshield mounting rail glue adhesion area and thesehome marker points coincide exactly to the glass markers, so the glassand the windshield mounting rail are precisely “set” together.

The present invention may include a thin ceramic coating applied to thelower area of the glass during its tempering process. The ceramiccoating would then have the previously mentioned alignment markerstherein. Of course, the alignment marks would actually be clear dots orX marks within the ceramic coating. The ceramic coating is preferablyblack, although other colors can be used, but it is important to use thesame color as the adhesive used, so the adhesive will hide the markers.The ceramic coating can also be designed to improve the aesthetic valueof the windshield assembly as desired.

Also, the glass can be tinted or “smoked” as may be desired to enhancethe overall visual appearance of the windshield assembly, while actingin effect to make the adhesive and the alignment marks to becomevirtually invisible.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Advantages of the present invention will become more fully appreciatedas the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunctionwith the following detailed description of an illustrative embodimentand accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designatethe same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein;

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment showing theinvention mounted onto a boat deck.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of prior art mounting of a windshield ontoa boat deck.

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view of the base member and the windshieldmounting rail mounted on a boat deck taken along line A from FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view of the base member and the windshieldmounting rail mounted on a boat deck with a step in the boat deck.

FIG. 5 a and 5 b are sectional views of the base member and thewindshield mounting rail separated.

FIG. 6 a is a sectional view of the base member and the windshieldmounting rail together.

FIG. 6 b is a sectional view of the base member together with thewindshield mounting rail having been bent back after forming.

FIGS. 7 a, 7 b and 7 c show sections of adhesive for mounting thewindshield mounting rail to windshield glass.

FIG. 8 a and 8 b show sections of windshield glass and the windshieldmounting rail, showing the alignment markings.

FIG. 9 a and 9 b is a partial sectional view of and alternate basemounting member and windshield mounting rail, mounted on a boat deck.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The Hidden marine windshield mounting system is generally referred to as10 as shown in a perspective view in FIG. 1. A boat is shown in partialview where a deck 12 has windshield system 10 mounted thereon.Windshield 10 is dramatically curved and swept back along the sides ofthe cockpit area 14.

Windshield 10 is shown in 3 sections where the center windshield section16 is attached to a door 18, where door 18 allows access to the frontseating area 20. Windshield 10 includes curved glass 22, with twoperipheral sections 22 a and 22 b. On top of glass sections 16, 22 a and22 b are longitudinally extending top windshield edge receivingstructures 16 a, 24 a and 24 b.

As seen in FIG. 2 a boat is shown in partial view where a prior artwindshield mounting is shown having a visible exterior mounting base 26.

As best seen in FIG. 3 in a partial cross sectional view taken alongline A from FIG. 1, of the base mounting system of the presentinvention, an elongated base member 28 is shown interlocked with awindshield mounting rail 30 and where the base member 28 is fastened todeck 12. The windshield mounting rail 30 includes an elongatedwindshield glass support element 32. Also shown in this cross sectionalview is windshield glass 22 and windshield adhesive 36.

In FIG. 4 also shown in a partial cross sectional view of the basemounting extrusion system the base member 28 and the windshield mountingrail 30, are shown mounted on deck 12, where deck 12 has a windshieldtransition step 12 a, where transition step 12 a allows glass 22 to setinto deck 12. Also shown in this configuration is a strip of foamadhesive 38, where foam adhesive 38 would act as an ant-rattlepreventative.

As seen in FIG. 5 a in a cross sectional view of windshield mountingrail extrusion 30, where windshield mounting rail extrusion 30 is shownseparated from base member extrusion 28. Windshield mounting railextrusion 30 has a windshield glass adhesion flange 32, where glassadhesion flange 32 can be clearly seen here as having ribs 32 a and 32 bthereon the glass adhesion area. Where ribs 32 a and 32 b act to extendthe length of surface of the adhesion area, permitting an increased glueadhesion surface. As well, ribs 32 a are projected or extended outslightly further so as to help contain the glue spread, as glass 22 ispressed into place on to the glass adhesion flange 32.

Windshield mounting rail extrusion 30 includes a wedged shaped element30 a where at the top of the wedge shaped element there is a recessedarea 30 b.

As seen in FIG. 5 b also in a cross sectional view, base memberextrusion 28 is shown separated from windshield mounting rail extrusion30. Base member 28 has a lower surface 28 a, which is fasten to a deck,usually using a foam tape, not shown. Base member 28 has an upperelement 28 b, where upper element 28 b has a downward protruding lip 28c along and under the edge of upper element 28 b, where the downwardprotruding lip 28 c coincides with recessed area 30 c of the windshieldmounting rail 30, allowing the base member 28 to interlock with thewindshield mounting rail 30 as can clearly be seen in FIG. 6 a.

As seen in FIG. 6 b in a cross sectional view the base member 28 andwindshield mounting rail 30 together with the windshield mounting railhaving been bent back after forming to conform to the windshield glasscurvature.

As seen in FIG. 7 a, a mode of adhesive application is shown, in thisprocess one adhesive strip 34 having a series of spaced apertures 36,where a gel adhesive would be placed.

As seen in FIG. 7 b a second mode of adhesive application is shown thatresembles the opposite of the previous method, where this applicationprocess uses adhesive tabs 38 along with a gel glue ribbon 40.

As seen in FIG. 7 c a third mode of adhesive application is shown wherethis application process uses adhesive strips 42 with a gel glue 44therebetween.

As seen in FIGS. 8 a and 8 b, the process of aligning the windshieldglass 22 onto the windshield mounting rail 30 is shown, where a marker46 which is on the glass coating 48, must be precisely aligned with ahome marker point 50. There are a number of markers 46 on glass coating48 and there are the same number of coinciding home marker points 50 onthe windshield mounting rail flange 32.

As seen in FIGS. 9 a and 9 b, a partial cross sectional view of andalternate mounting system is shown with a base member 52 mounted on boatdeck 12. Were base member 52 has a socket 52 a to receive a windshieldglass receiving member 54, where windshield glass receiving member 54has a rounded tab 54 a, where rounded tab 54 a cooperatively interlockswith socket 52 a on base member 52.

The method and apparatus of the present invention, therefore, produce acurved windshield mounting assembly having many aesthetic andinstallation advantages as compared to currently employed mountingsystems.

The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the presentinvention have been presented for purposes of illustration anddescription. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit theinvention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously manymodifications and variations are possible in light of the aboveteaching. These modifications may include forming the base membersseparately and reversing male and female members. The embodiments werechosen and described in order to best explain the principles of theinvention and its practical application, to thereby enable othersskilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodimentswith various modifications as are suited to the particular usecontemplated.

It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the Claimsappended hereto and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A hidden marine windshield mounting system forfitting a curved windshield to a boat deck, the mounting systemcomprising: an elongate base member and a windshield mounting rail, saidbase member longitudinally extending around the front of and mountableto the boat deck, said base member for interlocked mating with saidwindshield mounting rail along the length of said base member, and; saidwindshield mounting rail having a curvilinear windshield supportingflange, said supporting flange substantially planar in vertical crosssection so as to conformably mate an exterior surface of said supportingflange to an inside surface of the windshield.
 2. The mounting system ofclaim 1 further comprising an elongated trim member for mounting onto anupper edge of the windshield, wherein one end of said trim member isadapted for mounting to an end of said base member or said windshieldmounting rail.
 3. The mounting system as defined in claim 1 wherein,said elongated base member can be forcibly separable from saidwindshield mounting rail after stretch forming.
 4. The mounting systemas defined in claim 1 wherein, said elongated base member and saidwindshield mounting rail are aluminum extrusions.
 5. The mounting systemas defined in claim 1 wherein, said elongated base member is separablefrom said windshield mounting rail after installation onto said deck forreplacement of said windshield.
 6. The mounting system as defined inclaim 1 wherein, said windshield supporting flange has an elongatedribbed surface so as to extend the adhesive contact surface area
 7. Themounting system as defined in claim 6 wherein, said elongated ribbedsurface has an extended protruding first and last elongated rib tocontrol adhesive spread.
 8. The mounting system as defined in claim 1wherein, said adhesive is a combination of gel and strip adhesive. 9.The mounting system as defined in claim 1 wherein, said adhesive isurethane based.
 10. The mounting system as defined in claim 1 furthercomprising the windshield wherein, said windshield has an opaque coatinghiding said adhesive.
 11. The mounting system as defined in claim 10wherein, said opaque coating is ceramic and applied during saidwindshield manufacture.
 12. The mounting system as defined in claim 1wherein, said windshield further comprising tinting applied to saidwindshield to hide said base member and said windshield mounting railwhen the windshield is mounted to said windshield supporting flange. 13.The mounting system as defined in claim 1 wherein, said base member andsaid windshield mounting rail are adapted so that the windshield may bemounted into a step in the boat deck
 14. The mounting system as definedin claim 1 wherein, said base member and said windshield mounting railare adapted for mounting to a sectional windshield.
 15. The mountingsystem as defined in claim 1 wherein, said base member and saidwindshield mounting rail are adapted for mounting to a straight orcurved windshield.
 16. The mounting system as defined in claim 1wherein, windshield mounting rail has a wedge shaped male elementattached to said supporting flange for adhesion of windshield glass; andwhere said elongated base member cooperatively receives and interlockswith said wedge shaped male element of said windshield mounting rail.17. The mounting system as defined in claim 1 wherein, said elongatedbase member has an elongated rounded socket to receive said windshieldmounting rail, wherein said windshield mounting rail has an elongatedrounded tab which cooperatively interlocks with said socket on saidelongated base member.
 18. The mounting system as defined in claim 10wherein, said opaque coating on said windshield lower surface hasalignment markers, where said alignment markers align with home markerson said windshield mounting rail said supporting flange.
 19. A method ofmanufacturing a hidden marine windshield mounting system for mounting acurved windshield to a boat deck, comprising the steps of: a) forming alongitudinally extending base member and forming a longitudinallyextending windshield mounting rail having a windshield supportingflange; b) applying adhesive to said windshield supporting flange; c)aligning said windshield with said windshield supporting flange; and d)precisely setting said windshield with said supporting flange. e)mounting said base member and said mounting rail to the boat deck so asto dispose said windshield supporting flange outboard of said basemember and completely inboard of said windshield mounted thereon
 20. Themethod as defined in claim 19 wherein said windshield has an opaquecoating on said windshield lower surface and wherein said opaque coatinghas alignment markers.
 21. The method as defined in claim 20 wherein,said windshield mounting rail has home markers on said supporting flangeand where said windshield alignment markers are aligned with said homemarkers so to precisely align and set the position of said windshieldwith said windshield mounting rail.
 22. The method as defined in claim19 further comprising linearly adjusting said windshield mounting railrelative to said elongated base member for adjusting said windshieldafter a boat hull associated with the boat deck settles over prolongedservice.
 23. The method as defined in claim 19 wherein said base memberand said windshield mounting rail are formed together while interlocked.24. The method as defined in claim 23 wherein said base member and saidwindshield mounting rail are stretch formed.
 25. A marine windshieldmounting system for fitting a curved windshield to a boat deck of aboat, the mounting system comprising: an elongate base member and awindshield mounting rail, said base member mountable to the boat deck,said base member for interlocked mating with said windshield mountingrail along the length of said base member, said base member having upperand lower flanges extending said length of said base member and defininga cavity extending substantially said length of said base member, saidbase member adapted for mounting to the boat deck so that said cavityopens outboard relative to a center of the boat when said base member ismounted to the boat deck, said windshield mounting rail consisting of alower male member for mounting into said cavity and adapted to fitsnugly in mating engagement into said cavity when so mounted, and acurvilinear windshield supporting flange, said supporting flangesubstantially planar in vertical cross section so as to conformably matean exterior surface of said supporting flange to an inside surface ofthe windshield, wherein said male member and said supporting flange arecantilevered one from the other so as to form an acute angletherebetween, wherein when said male member is mounted into said cavity,said supporting flange extends upwardly from said male member and saidbase member so that when said base member is mounted onto the boat deck,and said male member is mounted into said base member, and saidwindshield is mounted onto said supporting flange, said base member andsaid windshield mounting rail are completely inboard of the windshieldand not directly exposed outboard.
 26. The mounting system of claim 25further comprising an elongated trim member for mounting onto an upperedge of the windshield, wherein one end of said trim member is adaptedfor mounting to an end of said base member or said windshield mountingrail.
 27. The mounting system of claim 25 wherein said base member isresilient whereby said windshield mounting rail may be de-mounted fromsaid cavity.
 28. The mounting system of claim 25 wherein said basemember and said windshield mounting rail are aluminium extrusions. 29.The mounting system of claim 25 wherein said base member is adapted soas to be selectively de-mountable from the boat deck for replacement ofthe windshield.
 30. The mounting system of claim 25 wherein saidwindshield supporting flange includes an elongate ribbed surface on saidouter surface so as to provide an adhesive contact surface of increasedarea.
 31. The mounting system of claim 30 wherein said ribbed surfaceincludes elongated and protruding ribs protruding from said outersurface beyond the remaining ribs of said rib surface to control spreadof an adhesive between said outer surface and the windshield when thewindshield is mounted to said windshield supporting flange.
 32. Themounting system of claim 31 wherein said adhesive includes a combinationof gel and flexible strip adhesive.
 33. The mounting system of claim 31wherein said adhesive is a urethane based adhesive.
 34. The mountingsystem of claim 31 further comprising an opaque coating applied to thewindshield so as to hide said adhesive.
 35. The mounting system of claim34 wherein said opaque coating is ceramic.
 36. The mounting system ofclaim 25 further comprising tinting applied to said windshield to hidesaid base member and said windshield mounting rail when the windshieldis mounted to said windshield supporting flange.
 37. The mounting systemof claim 25 wherein said base member and said windshield mounting railare adapted for mounting into a step in the boat deck.
 38. The mountingsystem of claim 25 wherein said base member and said windshield mountingrail are adapted for use with a curved windshield.
 39. The mountingsystem of claim 38 wherein said base member and said windshield mountingrail are adapted for mounting a sectional curved windshield.
 40. Themounting system of claim 25 wherein said male member of said windshieldmounting rail includes a wedge for insertion into said cavity andwherein said cavity is shaped for snug mating with said wedge.
 41. Themounting system of claim 40 further comprising a latch means forlatching said base member onto said windshield mounting rail forreleasably lockable mounting of said male member into said cavity. 42.The mounting system of claim 25 wherein said cavity in said base memberis an elongate rounded socket, and wherein said male member of saidwindshield mounting rail is a rounded bead for snug mating into saidsocket.
 43. A marine windshield mounting system for fitting a curvedwindshield to a boat deck of a boat, the mounting system comprising: anelongate base member and a windshield mounting rail mounted thereto,said base member longitudinally extending around the front of andmountable to the boat deck, said rail having a curvilinear windshieldsupporting flange, said supporting flange substantially planar invertical cross section so as to conformably mate an exterior surface ofsaid supporting flange to an inside surface of the windshield, whereinsaid elongate base member and said supporting flange are cantileveredone from the other so as to form an acute angle therebetween, whereinwhen said base member is mounted onto the boat deck said supportingflange extends upwardly from said base member so that when said basemember is mounted onto the boat deck, and said windshield is mountedonto said supporting flange, said base member and said windshieldmounting rail are completely inboard of the windshield and not directlyexposed outboard.